


I Solemnly Swear

by Sierraea



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Anxiety, F/M, Family, Female Harry Potter, Gen, Genderbending, M/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Multi, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:29:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28159074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sierraea/pseuds/Sierraea
Summary: "Fred Weasley and Mai Potter had disappeared with the mist, leaving Hermione shaking through tears. The sand from the time turner slowly sank into the floor, disappearing, leaving no trace."Mai Potter has turned down Fred's advances yet again, but when a time turner breaks, sending the pair back twenty years, things may not be as simple as Mai used thought. Now, Mai and Fred have to figure out how to survive in 1975 with  the Marauders and the beginning of a war, without destroying the timeline.Fem!Harry, Eventual Wolfstar, Slow Burn, Time Travel, Marauders Era, Mentions Anxiety and PTSD, Cross Post on FF.Net under Future-Little-Mrs.-Teddy-Lupin
Relationships: Harry Potter/Fred Weasley, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 6
Kudos: 125





	1. Chapter 1

She fidgeted in the chair that sat across from the deputy headmistress’s desk, staring anywhere other than at the woman ahead of her. Her wounded fist was cradled in her hand and her quidditch robes where still damp from the early morning mist that she had to fly through during practice. She wanted nothing more than to crawl back into a hot shower and back into bed. This had been a horribly miserable way to start her weekend. There was no way that she would be able to write the two-foot essay that Snape had assigned with her hand throbbing like it was. 

"You know that was uncalled for Ms. Potter. What in the name of Godric's Green Earth compelled you to attack Mr. Malfoy?" lectured Professor McGonagall. Mai had given Draco Malfoy a punch that not only sent him sprawling, but also had sent him straight to the hospital wing. Madame Pomphrey would be able to fix his nose with no issue, or at least Mai had hopped that she would be able to. Though she couldn’t deny the satisfaction of seeing Malfoy with a crocked nose.

"Professor, he kept spewing insults left and right! You should have heard the things that he was saying about-"

“Mai you know better! While Mr. Malfoy’s tact and ability to hold his tongue may be lacking, there is no need to be physically violent with another student! No reason at all.” The professor sat wearily in the high-backed chair behind her desk. “I am sorry Ms. Potter, but physical violence against another student will cost you fifty points and two weeks’ worth of detention starting tonight. You will report here at seven o’clock, just after dinner. You’re dismissed.” She said with a wave of her hand. 

Mai sighed, stood up, and walked out of her head of house's office. She knew that saying anything else would make things far worse for her. Once the door closed behind her, she released a groan as she shook off her bruised hand. She was tired, and the pain in her hand wasn’t letting up at all. She would have to call Dobby and see if she could get some ice for it. She knew that if she went to the hospital wing she would run into a particular blond and could only afford one smarting fist. As she walked down the hall, she could not help but smirk as she thought about the sight of Malfoy sprawled in the mud. She would need a pensive to keep that memory in. She was sure that his father would hear all about it. 

With a small shake of her head, she made her way up the staircase. 

"Oi Potter!"

Her smirk fell and her body stiffened as she stopped dead in her tracks. 'Not now,' she thought as she frantically looked around for anything that would keep her from this again. An empty classroom, a ghost, a trick stair step that he could get stuck in, she would even deal with Peeves over this. But of course, she was on the staircase alone. Most students were still asleep since with was so early on a Saturday, so there weren’t even witnesses. There was nothing that could help her out of this one. With a sigh, she rolled her shoulders back and threw a glance over her shoulder. 

There was no mistaking the flaming hair and pale skin that was mottled with freckles. She knew his face well, having burned it into her mind years before. He still had his quidditch robes on as well, mud staining the hem, and his Cleansweep 5 over his shoulder. The only odd thing about the sight that she saw was that she wasn’t seeing his double.

“What is it Fred?” 

"How’d you know that it was me? Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to go with me to Hogsmeade this weekend." Fred Weasley said with a crooked smile. 

The older twin had been trying to get Mai to date him for two years now, and she was adamantly opposed. She had thought, initially, that she would just be friends with the twins. After all, they were her best friend’s older brothers, and it would be impossible to truly hate either of the Hogwarts troublemakers. They had helped her on the train in her first year and had been some of the only ones to defend her when she had been accused of petrifying the student body three years prior. By the time that she was thirteen, she had thought that they were on the path of great friendship, but the twins had thought differently. It had seemed to the twins that the two year age difference was nothing important, and Fred had found her fascinating. Soon, Fred had started pestering her with occasional support from his other half. 

At thirteen, she was able to laugh about the advances, being unable to truly recognize them. After she had fallen off of her broomstick from the dementors, Fred has visited her in the hospital wing, making her laugh and force feeding her candy until Madame Pomphrey had to forcibly remove him for complaining too loudly when Cedric had arranged for flowers to be delivered to her. Her cheeks had flared red and she sputtered nonsense about making him a thank you card, as Fred was forced to leave the wing. 

Last year she had been far too preoccupied with not dying during the Triwizard Tournament to even think about their incessant questions. Her best friend’s older brothers were always there, but without quidditch practice, Mai only saw the twins making bets about her and silently plotting their pranks. When they were at the Burrow, Mai had noticed that both twins had gotten much taller and were starting to fill out into their frames, but before she could think too hard about it, the stupid flaming cup had spat out her name, and her entire year had gone to hell. 

This year, Fred had been much more forward about his advances. Mai thought that since it was his last year at Hogwarts, all bets were off. That, or he and George had an actual bet on it. She cringed at the idea of being the subject of one of the Weasley twin’s bets. 

"Forget it." she said as she turned and climbed the stairs quickly, hopelessly praying that this would be the end of it. "Besides, don’t you have some first years to try new products on or something? Or hey, maybe study. Didn’t your mum say that she would give Gin your room if you two didn’t do better on your NEWTs than your OWLs?" Her mood had soured and her head was starting to ache again. 

"Come on Potter. One trip. We can go to Madame Puddifoot’s. Share a drink. Chat.” Fred walked faster, climbing the staircase two steps at a time to catch up to her. Mai tried to move faster, but her exhaustion was slowly creeping. She had another restless night full of visions of the mysterious hallway, and Angelina’s “before dawn” practices were worse that Wood’s. She wasn’t in the mood for this. All she wanted to shower and sleep. Maybe she could get a decent nap in before lunch if she could get away from Fred’s advances. 

“Or we can go to the hogshead. Zonkos? I’ll let you pick something fun out!” He had reached out his hand and snagged her bruised fist. He was surprisingly gentle with it and Mai had to blink the surprise away at the beater’s light grasp.

Mai tossed her head to the side, forcing rogue pieces of her braid away from her face. "Shove off. I’m not going to Hogsmeade, I had detention. Even if I was, it wouldn’t be with you" she said as she tried to pull her hand back. She could see the portrait of the Fat Lady clearly in her mind through the white pain. She calculated the number of steps. Three more flights. She seriously thought about crawling. Her head was pounding, and it felt like her scar was blistering. Why now? Of all times, why now. All she wanted was sleep.

"Come on Mai," Fred called exasperated. “Please. Is the idea of getting a butterbeer with me that unimaginable?” She could tell that he was offended, and his jaw hung loosely as he stared at her sadly. Maybe this would be the last time he would try this. Bringing her fist to her knead her head, she shut her eyes and moved to take the next stair. She wobbled, all balance lost with her eyes screwed shut. She tried to catch the railing but felt two hands around her waist, steadying her instead. “Hey, are you alright?” 

She forced her eyes open just a crack and saw Fred’s eyes full of concern. He was way closer than he had been before. She could see his cheeks, chapped from the icy wind outside, and the small scar by his eyebrow that George didn’t have. “I’m fine, I just want to go to bed.” She managed to get out. 

With a small nod he shouldered his broom and wrapped an arm around Mai’s waist. As much as she wanted to complain and push him down the stairs, she really did just want to get back to bed. Fred’s help was the only way that she could get there. They climbed the stairs together, moving slowly, taking a few breaks to let Mai see where they were before she would snap her eyes shut again. After what seemed like an eternity, and a thousand whispered reassurance from her guide, they made their way to the common room. 

“Okay, mind the step. Grab hold of this table here. We have to find someone to help you into your dorm. I can’t make it up there. The stairs will - Hermione, help us out, would ya?” 

Through cracked eyelids, Mai could see that Hermione was walking with a book towards the table that she had braced herself against. When she saw the pair, her eyes grew wide and she rushed over. “Are you okay? Is it your head ag-“ her words were drowned out by Fred, who had tried to remove his hands from Mai’s waist, but knocked over the stack of books that here on the table in the process. “Fred no! My time turner!”

Things moved in slow motion. Hermione, who had been the only student in the common room, must have been using her newly issued time turner to study. It had been sitting on top of the stack of books that Fred had just hit. The fragile, golden necklace tipped off of the books and plummeted towards the ground. It took years before the small glass charm it the ground, but once it did, the glass shattered, and the luminescent sand poured onto the ground. As it did, mist swirled around the feet of Mai Potter and Fred Weasley. 

“Wait, what is that! Mai?” Mai’s eyes flicked from the broken time turner to Hermione’s horrified face. She heard Fred starting to panic, but all that she could do was stare ahead as her vision started to swim. She wordlessly said Hermione’s name, just before everything went black and Mai went limp. 

Fred Weasley and Mai Potter had disappeared with the mist, leaving Hermione shaking through tears. The sand from the time turner slowly sank into the floor, disappearing, leaving no trace. The only sign that anything had happened at all was the stack of books, slightly askew on the small table in the Gryffindor common room and a crying Hermione Granger.


	2. Chapter 2

She could feel where she was before she even opened her eyes. The scratchy material below her and the familiar sterile scent had been far more than just familiar by now. After four years of constant visits, Mai could tell when she was in the hospital wing. Her fingers clenched around the thick sheet below her. What had happened? Her head didn’t hurt that much now, just a dull throbbing. With a small groan she mumbled, “What in Merlin’s name happened?” 

"Honestly, I have no idea,” came a voice to her left. She knew that voice. Mai’s eyes snapped open, an action that she deeply regretted the moment that it had happened. She was met with a blinding light that forced her to clamp her eyes shut again. With another groan, she cracked her eyes open this time, allowing time to adjust to the bright hospital wing light, while fumbling around for her wire framed glasses. 

After slipping the lenses on, she could see that Fred was sitting in the bed next to her, crossed legged, facing her. His eyes were swimming with mirth as he took in her disheveled appearance, but Mai could tell that he was worried by the small furrow in his brow. His hair was rumpled and stuck up on one side, a clear indication that he had fallen asleep on it at one point, though he seemed wide awake now. His face seemed paler than usual, making his thousands of freckles stand out against it. He didn’t look any different, but there were only a few that could tell when Fred was actually concerned about something. Mai liked to pride herself on being one of those few. 

Sitting up, Mai looked around the wing. All seemed normal. The windows were in the same place and there were just as many beds as always, each with a folded quilt and perfectly made edges. Something felt eerily different, but Mai couldn’t quite place what it was. 

"Do you remember anything?” she asked Fred without looking towards him. She didn’t want to see his face and think about the worry in his eyes or the pallor of his face any longer. What had she gotten them into? Why did everything feel different? Something wasn’t right about this. Her stomach twisted. 

"Well,” Fred started quickly, rushing his words together, “I managed to get us to the common room – you could barely walk you know – and I had just asked Granger for help getting you upstairs when I knocked over this-” 

“Ah! You’ve finally woken I see! It’s about time.” 

Both heads snapped into the direction of Madam Pomfrey's office at the far end of the room. The Medi-witch was walking briskly over to the two of them. This wasn’t right. The matron looked different. Was she younger? Her hair wasn’t as greyed, and her skin looked far less wrinkled. Hey eyes seamed softer as she looked at both students. "Drink this." she said, thrusting a vile of pale blue liquid into both their hands.

Looking away from the madame and down at the potion, Mai shuddered. She recognized the shiny blue liquid as a modified version of Pepper Up. It wouldn’t do as much, but she also wouldn’t be sporting steaming ears if she took it. She hated taking potions. Not for the first time, Mai wondered why the wizarding world didn’t have anything like Tylenol. With one last grimace, she drowned the potion. Nearly immediately, the gentle throbbing in her head disappeared. Fred muttered one last complaint about it before he did the same. 

“Perfect. Now let me inform the headmaster that you two are finally awake.”

“There is no need Poppy, I am already here.” There was no mistaking the tenor of the headmaster, nor the sound of his heeled boots crossing the stone floor. “I had a feeling that they would be waking shortly, so I decided to come and wait. Now it seems that I do not have to.” His tone was harsh and didn’t match the voice that the two were familiar with.   
Turning slightly, Mai could see the periwinkle robes of Albus Dumbledore. Or at least he looked like Albus Dumbledore. Though he still sported a beard, it was not nearly as white, nor was it long enough to be tucked into his belt. The half moon spectacles remained, but there was no twinkle in his eye. Rather, they were hard and stern, matching the hard set of his jaw and the rough tone of voice. Dumbledore looked…angry? And younger. Deep in her gut, Mai knew that something had gone horribly wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong.   
His harsh eyes landed on her, and he pulled out his wand, causing the young girl to stiffen on the hospital bed. With a wave, the headmaster shut and closed the double doors to the infirmary, the heavy lock sliding into place with a resonating clack. With that sound, Mai felt trapped. “Who are you? Are you spies?” The eyes shifted from Mai to Fred. “Or are you recruiters for your Lord?” He let out his final word with a sneer that was very reminiscent of Snape's usual countenance. 

“Albus, I really don’t think that this is the time.” Pomfrey tried to interject. “They just woke up from-”

“Sir, what are you talking about? It’s me!” Fred cried out. “George and I were in your office last week!” He started to shrink away from the anger filled eyes that bore into him.   
“I know nothing of this. You must have been sent by Voldemort to infiltrate the student body. No one would suspect a Gryffindor, would they? We should remove whatever glamour spell you two are under and we will find who exactly you are”

Suddenly a thought came to Mai’s mind. “Fred! Fred, what did you say that you knocked over in the common room?” It couldn’t have been… 

“I-it was this shiny gold necklace. It had some sort of glass charm on it, I think. Hermione had it on top of the books, but the glass shattered when it hit the ground. There was all this mist, then nothing.” Fred stuttered out. His face was flushed from embarrassment and his eyes were twinged with fright. Dumbledore was scaring him – the boy that didn’t show fear often.

“A time turner?” Mai mumbled under her breath. It made sense. Everyone looked younger. But it couldn’t have been that long. Or could it? Her eyes caught the headmaster’s again and she saw the physical differences. This was a different man than her gentle headmaster. “Sir, what year is it?” Her stomach started to sink, and she held her breath.   
"It's 1975 dear." It was the matron that answered rather than Dumbledore. She looked at Mai confused, but Mai could only feel a huge weight on her chest. The world began to shift around her, and her eyes couldn’t seem to focus on anything. 1975? Her breathing started to speed as panic flooded her. Her eyes shut, trying to find some grounding from the swimming in her head. Twenty years. There was no way. It couldn’t be. It was 1995, not 1975. It wasn’t possible. 

“Oh dear. Calm down dear.” 

She heard the matron summon a potion. She heard Fred’s cries of worry. She heard the headmaster’s confused mutterings. She could hear her own ragged, erratic breathing. She could hear it all, but she could only focus on was the blood rushing though her ears as her heart pounded furiously. Mai silently repeated to herself to just breathe and relax, but that seemed to make the pressure on her chest worse, as if someone had sat on it and wouldn't budge. A cool glass was pressed to her lips and acting on instinct, she swallowed the slimy contents. A calming drought. She could recognize the effects instantaneously. It was as if the potion was grounding her, her heart rate slowed again, and her breaths became deeper and easier to manage. 

She sluggishly opened her eyes, suddenly feeling utterly exhausted, only to meet Fred clutching the sheets of his bed, his face one of terror and his eyes dull. Once he had seen that her eyes were open, life came back to his, quickly followed by his entire body. Those dark eyes were only on her as he thrashed about. “Mai! Mai are you alright? Don’t scare me like that, ok? Can’t have you going anywhere else on me. Kinda need you here, ya know.” His last comment was framed as a joke, but Mai could hear the concern laden behind it. She had scared him. Clearly. Having seen her in the days that followed the Triwizard Tournament, Fred knew some of the signs of her panic, but he had never seen her quite like the before. Her anxiety had been increasing significantly over the months that followed, the final task of the tournament, and her nightmares and headaches were making her far more prone to it now that before. He had yet to see her actually have any kind of episode. Being stuck to the bed probably made it far worse for him. All he could do was watch as she had unraveled before him. He looked as though if he did not touch her, she may fade away. 

“I’m alright Freddie.” Freddie? She hadn't called him that in a while, and when she did it was always mockingly. Sure, George and Mrs. Weasley called him that, and Ginny did too on occasion, but she had meant it sincerely. With a small shake of her head, Mai swiped at the tears that must have fallen at some point before she turned turned to face the headmaster. His face had now softened a bit and she could see a small hint of sadness deep in his eyes. “Sir, I don’t think that there is much that we will be able to tell you without mucking everything up, but it does seem that we may have had an issue with a time turner.”

With that, Dumbledore’s face smoothed out and a look of understanding crossed him. His jaw hung loose as he quietly drew out a soft "oh my." Quickly stashing his wand away, the older man gestured with his hands. “Ah, I see. In that case, I do apologize for that harsh greeting. You can’t be too careful with the war brewing out there. Things are growing. No one can be fully trusted, and we can’t be too careful, but time is a fickle thing that not many would be willing to risk meddling with. I can see the truth in your eyes. May I ask the year that you are from? I take it that you both are students, and Gryffindors at that, judging by your robes. Poppy, would you mind bringing our time travelers some water and perhaps calling for lunch. They both look rather peckish.”

As the hospital matron left the three of them, muttering angerly about the headmaster’s treatment of her patients, she unlocked the door to the wing. The headmaster conjured a chair between the two beds and gracefully sat, silently waving his wand to create a mild buzzing around them. “I am going to need some information from you two. That will be the only way that I can help you. Don’t be afraid of sharing, we are in a silenced bubble. Now, what are your names?”

For the first time in his life, Fred was silent. He was gazing unsure at Mai, his lower lip tucked between his teeth. In that moment, she knew that she would have to take the lead on this. Fred hardly showed vulnerability to others or let them know when things bothered him. He was the older twin. The “make it happen” man. The prankster. The quidditch star. The only way that she knew of Fred’s vulnerable insecurity was from the small interactions that she had with him privately either on the quidditch pitch or at the Burrow, but she could clearly see it now. Fred was nervous and he seemed scared. Perhaps he couldn’t wrap his brain around time travel. Did he even know what a time turner was? It wasn’t a part of their curriculum, so he may not even know the implications of what had happened. Either way, she knew that she had to take the reins. 

“Well, sir. My name is Mai…. which I am sure that you have gathered that much…. And this is Fred. I – I don’t think it is exactly safe to tell you any last names though. I don’t want any issues moving forward or when we get back.” 

The headmaster chuckled and smiled warmly at her. This felt familiar to Mai. She knew that smile, having been well acquainted with the headmaster’s cunning mind over the last few years. She knew that he would play along, but he knew something. “My dear, you look quite like a feminine version of James Potter. Also judging by your eyes, a young Ms. Evans, perhaps?” His eyes had their characteristic twinkle, “And of course, this young man looks remarkably like a certain five-year-old Weasley. Though, of course, I have no real evidence of either. You two can always just… tell me a name.” He folded his hands over a crossed knee and waited. 

“A name. Right. Erm…” 

“Do you think she could use Evans? It’s pretty common, right?” Fred offered. Mai looked first to Fred, seeing his normal goofy smile and bright eyes, then to Dumbledore, looking for a confirmation. She couldn’t help the small smile that crept on her face. 

“We do have a Mr. Evans in Hufflepuff this year, and there is another seventh year in Ravenclaw, though I have heard that she may be changing that as soon as she is finished with her education. So Mai Evans? Ms. Evans?” the wizard replied with an equal smirk. 

“Yes please.” Mai answered. Her smile grew at Fred’s sweet gesture. He knew how often everyone would compare her to her father, but never her mother.  
“And for you, young man?” 

With a charismatic smirk Fred replied “Well sir if I had to choose, it would probably be Toofdap after these four prankster-“

“What about Gideon?” Mai offered before Fred could finish. “After your Uncle. That is who George is named after, right?” She prayed that he wouldn’t use Toofdap. Not only was it a horrible name, but it could also expose Padfoot. 

Fred’s eyes had shifted harshly to Mai as she interrupted what was sure to be a long winded and involved explanation about Padfoot, but at her answer and reasoning they softened again. His smirk fell into a soft smile and he shook his head in agreement. “I’m Fred Gideon. Absolutely no relation to any Prewett siblings, just a common last name.” 

“Mr. Gideon it is.” Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled. “What year are you two in? I am correct in that you two are in Gryffindor, yes?” 

“Yes sir, we are both in Gryffindor. We were coming back from quidditch practice. Fred is in his seventh year, and I am in my fifth.” Mai hoped that this wouldn’t change too much of the future, but they needed help getting home. The only way to do that was with the headmaster’s help. 

“Ah yes, two quidditch lions. A marvelous past time. I wish that I could say that I enjoyed the sport in my youth, but I am only an occasional flyer when it is absolutely necessary. I am rather uncomfortable with heights and have always been a rather rubbish at the sport.” The headmaster pulled out a small tin of candies and offered one to the two teenagers before him before continuing. “So Mr. Gideon, Ms. Evans, dare I ask what year you are traveling from and what happened exactly? Time turners are incredibly tricky bits of magic. The more that you can tell me, the more help I may be able to offer you.” 

Fred dove into repeating his explanation of what had happened, with Mai supplying or perventing an odd detail or two. Every time that Fred’s ramblings strayed or could meddle with the future in any way, Mai would send the red head a pointed look and interrupt. She knew that the best way to get home by being thorough, but she did not want to threaten the timeline. Fred thought it best to allow Mai to take the lead and redirect when necessary. He had, after all, only recently found out about time travel. The only pause came when a house elf popped into the wing to deliver lunch and beverages for the trio. The small creature bowed lowly, until its long nose touched the ground, before popping away. The three ate in silence. Mai’s eyes were kept low and her hands busy, staring at her plate until she had finished the sandwich and it vanished from her. 

The headmaster, once Fred had finished his story, was left with an incredibly vague idea of what the two time travelers had experienced. He knew that the two were from 1995, twenty years in the future, and that a time turned had broken, sending the pair back to the past. 

“So it seems that the war hasn’t come to an end in twenty years. This is unfortunate.” The headmaster said simply. His tone was sad, but he seemed resigned, while the teens threw each other a panicked glance. 

“War, sir?” Mai said with her eyes cast down again. 

The headmaster’s twinkle dimmed for just a moment, “My dear, do not think me a mind reader, but you two would not go through such lengths to edit your story if there was not something that I was not meant to know. I assume that the was has not ended, even in your time, and somehow there are still ramifications that you feel that you cannot talk about.” With a casual gesture towards the large windows, he continued. “There is a war brewing out in our world now. People are disappearing and people are dying as one man tries to take power of the entire wizarding world. Your story shows similarities. Am I wrong? Has the war ended? It certainly doesn’t seem like it.”

Fred looked from the headmaster, to Mai, then back to the older wizard before answering. “Yes sir, there is still a war. It had ended for a while, and we thought that V-Voldemort was gone for good, but we were wrong.” His last words were merely a whisper as his eyes, unconsciously panned to see Mai, whose face was hidden behind stray strands of hair and her hands clutched together in a white knuckled grasp.

“I see,” the headmaster said quietly. Mai could feel his eyes boring into her with the weight of a thousand hippogriffs. “and it involved you, somehow, Mai Potter.” His words were grave, sorrowful, yet hopeful. 

“It’s Evans, sir.” She whispered back sharply. “And I did nothing.” Her head snapped up, eyes narrowed and angry. She bit out rather bitterly, “All I did was survive while others died for me.” 

The silence that followed was charged and heavy. Mai was the first to look away, suddenly finding the walls incredibly interesting. Fred sat there, watching the girl that he cared for so deeply, grow more and more upset, and he knew that the only thing that he could do was reach out his hand. Somehow the sticking charm had worn off, and he was able to reach her by leaning close to the edge of the bed. As his fingers met the skin of her arm, it felt as if lightning had stuck in that spot. He couldn’t pull away, even if he wanted to. Slowly, the angry tension eased form Mai’s shoulders, and her eyes found Fred. He gave her a soft smile, and she returned it.

“I apologize if I have upset you. I think that it is best to let things rest for now.” The headmaster’s voice was soft and remorseful. “I wish that I could say that I am an expert at time turners, however I am not. I do know some people that may be able to help, some Unspeakables that may find this interesting, but things will take time to move forward. For now, I would suggest that the two of you resume your studies here, as students while we work to find a solution for you. Seeing as it is only the beginning of October, you should be able to adjust well.”

“If you think that is best sir.” Mai said tiredly. She knew that it would be the best option, but she just wanted to go home. Her gaze fell to her hands, still held in her lap. Suddenly, the chipping nail polish - a remnant of “girls night” with Hermione and Ginny - was the most interesting thing that she could find. 

“What do we need to do?” It was Fred that responded with rational questions. That did not surprise Mai. He was a leader and knew when to take the helm. “We have no supplies, and wouldn’t it look weird to have two new students join classes a month after the term begins with nothing?” 

“Not to worry my dear boy. For now we can supply you with some of the basic necessities. We have funds set aside for students that cannot cover all of the materials needed for their term, or emergent peculiar issues, such as this. Your books, I am afraid, will take a couple days to get here by owl order. It seems that the two of you were lucky that you managed to carry your wands with you when you travelled here.” The headmaster finished with a twinkled eye and small chuckle. “I will have you two follow our prefect’s schedule, that way you have a guide for your first day of classes. After all, a new school and new subjects can be a bit overwhelming, especially when you two have just had your village raided by this rising Lord Voldemort. We are thankful that your late parents told you that Hogwarts was safe place, and you managed to find your way here.” Both teens stared intently at the headmaster as he effortlessly crafted their story. After all, they couldn’t introduce themselves as time travelers. “Mr. Gideon, you will be following a Mr. Prescott, our seventh year prefect for Gryffindor, assuming that you would like to stay in Gryffindor, and Ms. Evans, you will be following our fifth year prefect, Ms. Evans….. or perhaps Mr. Lupin would be a better option for the sake of preventing confusion.”

Mai’s head snapped painfully back towards the headmaster again. How could she forget? In 1975, the Marauders were still in school. She would be in classes with Sirius and Remus and… her parents. Her face paled and she felt faint. How could she do this? How could she interact with her family without damaging the timeline or without warning them? She couldn’t. She couldn’t be in classes with her parents, not without risking everything. Her head began to shake. “Sir, I’m sorry but I-”

“I am sure that you can handle it. Remember what can happen to those that meddle with time, Ms. Evans. It is imperative that you stick to this story. I can have you resorted if you would like, but I am afraid that you will still see your parents in classes.” Dumbledore tried to reassure Mai. If only he knew. If only he knew why she felt that she couldn’t be in the same room as them. Or perhaps he did. His eyes looked sad behind their half-mooned spectacles. Maybe he had an idea of what could have happened. 

“Mai, it is okay.” Once again, Fred’s hand met Mai’s arm and the skin on skin created a lightning connection. “I won’t let anything happen. I promise you, I won’t let you say anything. Or do anything that could muck anything up. I solemnly swear.” He ended with a warm, Freddie smirk at the joke. Only the two teens in the room would get it, and he knew that. It reassured her in ways that Mai didn’t expect. 

She slid her hand into his, ignoring the weird fluttering in her stomach and the eyes that bugged out of Fred’s head. After a moment their eyes met and she could see the truth behind them. He really wouldn’t let her mess this up. He knew how hard it would be for her to see her mom and dad. She took a deep breath, held it, then nodded. “Okay.” 

Her reply was so soft that both Fred and Dumbledore almost missed it. What couldn’t be missed was how bright Fred’s face lit up. Dumbledore smiled at the two, knowingly. “Alright then. We will announce your arrival at dinner tonight. Until then, let’s finalize some details of your story. I want you both prepared for questions before dinner.” 

As the headmaster rambled on, the two teenagers held each other’s gaze, eyes filled with the unknown. Neither of them knew what was going to happen later on that day or in the weeks ahead. They had to be ready, but at least they had each other.


	3. Chapter 3

The walls of the great hall reverberated with the sounds of four houses talking amongst themselves. Dinner had yet to appear, so many students were beginning to settle in, discussing their school days with their peers. Some spoke of homework – “I can’t believe Slughorn gave us a two foot essay on the properties of lacewing flies! It’s ruddy first year work, and our OWLs are this year!” – while others spoke of the upcoming quidditch season – “I can’t wait until Hufflepuff sees our new strategy! They won’t know what hit them. I swear, this season we are coming out with that cup.” At the Gryffindor table, amidst the chatter of the daily ongoings of Hogwarts, a boy with black hair, which was sloppily held in a bun with his wand, had his head on his arms, which were folded atop the table. 

“I swear, if they don’t bring the food out soon, I will die here.” The boy grumbled unintelligibly into his arms. 

“Well Sirius, I told you all to go to lunch after Charms, but you didn’t listen. Where did you three wander off to anyway?” Said a boy with hair the color of caramel that was seated across from the grumbling teenager. His head was bowed as his golden eyes danced across the pages of a thick book that rest in his lap under the table. As he spoke he didn’t look up, but rather his brow furrowed as he reached a new page. This boy had skin that seemed a few shades paler than it should be, which made the angry pink scars that covered the exposed bits more prominent. His black school robes also seemed a shade or two paler than the other robes around him and if you looked close enough, you would see that the sleeves, which the boy had hiked to his elbows, were starting to fray, and the hem was just a bit too short for his growing frame. Only the shiny maroon badge that was pinned to the lapel of his robes seemed to be new. 

“We were in the library” the black-haired boy, Sirius, muttered nonchalantly, his head never leaving his arms. 

“Yeah Moony, we were studying between classes so that we didn’t have to do it during dinner!” Another boy had just come to sit next to Sirius. He reached across the table, trying to snag the book from the caramel haired boy, his hazel eyes alive with mirth behind his wired framed glasses. His arms couldn’t quite reach the book, but it didn’t prevent the swift kick under the table that came from the burnet across from him. The boy let his arms fall as he sat, purposefully elbowing Sirius as he did so.

Sirius lifted his head off of his arms for a moment to glare at the black-haired boy that had elbowed him, before sitting back up. Sirius’s grey eyes flicked between the two boys. “James, where is Peter?” he asked the other black-haired boy, noticing the empty seat next to his reading friend. “Did he end up getting stuck in the staircase again?” he ended with a small chuckle as he tossed a stray lock of hair out of his eyes. The boy stretched his arms high over his head with a small yawn. As his hands fell, Sirius grabbed a lock of his neighbor’s black hair, which wildly stood this way and that, and pulled. 

“No, Filch caught him trying to smuggle some Zonko’s pranks onto first year Ravenclaws.” James said, smacking Sirius’s hand away and rubbing his twinging scalp. “He was doing good too. They almost fell for the exploding hand axe. He is probably with McGonagall getting an earful now.” James shuddered, his face growing a shade paler at the idea of being reprimanded by his head of house. “Hey Moony, do you happen to have any chocolate? I’m trying to woo Evans again and that chocolate trick worked well last time.” James’ eyes scanned up and down the long wooden table in search of a head of flaming red hair. 

“No, Sirius stole the last of it.” Remus said, finally looking up from his book to glare at Sirius, who was smiling impishly at him while muttering something. It vaguely sounded similar to trying to keep you from poisoning yourself. “And don’t waste your time James; she is with Alice and Marlene in the common room. Apparently, Alice needed help with Slughorn’s essay, and Frank offered.” He glanced at James, whose cheeks had grown a tinge of pink to them at having been caught searching for her. “I had offered to help, but you know how smitten Alice is with Frank, and Lily doesn’t want anything to do with us right now after Sirius threw that hex at Snape in the hall. Alice said that they were going to ask a house elf to bring them dinner.” He sighed, folding the corner of the page down before closing and slipping the heavy tome into his bag. 

James Potter signed dejectedly while shoving a snickering Sirius. He had been trying to corner Lily Evans for two weeks, trying win her affections and show that he wasn’t “toe-rag” as she called him so often, but Evans seemed to have had other ideas. Lily seemed to think James to be arrogant and rude, though he was trying desperately to prove her wrong. Naturally, by association, Lily did not like Sirius or Peter, claiming that they too were far too arrogant and flamboyant to be around civilized people. The only one of the group of four friends that Lily Evans could tolerate was her fellow prefect, Remus. 

Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew were closer than any regular classmates or friends were. The four considered each other to be family in all ways but blood, and they had made it their personal mission to leave their legacy at Hogwarts as the closest pack of pranksters to have walked the halls. They swore in their first year that the four would always stick together, look out for one another, and support each other. The four students were well known across the school as a pack that couldn’t be separated. They were bonded not only by friendship, but also a secret. 

Remus Lupin was, secretly, a werewolf. The three friends had discovered Remus’ lycanthropy in their second year, despite his valiant attempts at hiding his condition. The three swore to the werewolf that they would not tell another soul, and thus their friendship became a brotherhood. To the wizarding world, those with lycanthropy were a seen as an incredibly dangerous. Those infected with it were often discriminated against and shunned by the magical community. James, Sirius, and Peter would not let that be the case. They refused to allow the wizarding world’s views of werewolves to sway their opinion of their pale friend. To them, he was just Remus Lupin; a teenager that could always be found with a muggle fiction book in his bag, a bar of chocolate in his trunk, and a sarcastic comeback ready to be slung. They knew the boy that had the ability to take a nap anywhere, who color coded his school subjects and notes, and couldn’t be bothered to wake up before noon on the weekends. The boys wouldn’t allow their dear friend to worry, and swore that they would not ever be the ones to tell his deepest secret. 

The other three had a secret of their own, one which could cost them quite a deal if it were to be found out. While Remus was a werewolf, James, Sirius, and Peter were practicing to become animagi. The boys hated that their friend had to suffer alone every month, and after their second year, the three began to research ways to allow them to help their canine-shifting friend. After months, it was Remus that had found that werewolves were only drawn to the scent of humans, and not the scent of animals. Quickly, the three slaved over trying to find a way to transfigure themselves into animals. Through trial and error, the boys discovered an advanced form of human transfiguration where in the caster could shift into an animal form – or become an animagus. It was dangerous, difficult, and - without registering their intent with the ministry of magic – illegal, but that did not hinder the boys from trying to help their friend. Soon, the three, with some help from Remus, began the long, arduous process of shifting into an animal form. They were getting closer, practicing harder, and keeping it a surprise from the lycanthrope. By the end of the year, they would all be able to spend the full moons together, and all would have a stake in keeping Moony’s secret a secret. 

The hall suddenly quieted, as if a silencing charm had been cast across the tables. The heads of the three boys shot up to the head table, to find their headmaster standing with his arms outstretched. Behind him were two people, a lightly colored red-haired boy and a dark-haired girl dressed in solid black robes. They couldn’t be older than sixteen. The teachers that were seated at the head table looked to the headmaster with just as much confusion. Who were these two?  
“Who do you think those two are?” whispered James. 

“I don’t know,” Sirius shot back equally as quiet. “but dibs on the girl Moony. She’s kind of cute.” Sirius wagged his eyebrows as he gestured with his chin towards the dark-haired girl. Remus rolled his eyes before putting a finger to his lips and looking back to the front. It was then Sirius’s turn to roll his eyes. “Oh, quit being such a prefect.” He retorted, which earned him a swift kick in the shin. “Ouch.”

“Shut it and pay attention.” Remus whispered. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, I have a bit of an announcement.” The headmaster said, his voice raised slightly from a quick amplification spell. Not that it was needed, the hall was silent. “I would like for us all to give a warm Hogwarts welcome to our two newest students, Mr. Fredrick Gideon and Ms. Maia Evans. The two have been lucky enough to take refuge within the halls of Hogwarts and will be joining us for the remainder of the academic school year.” The headmaster took a moment to pause while the student body and professors clapped in a confused welcome of the two new students. Across all tables, whispers broke out. Even the professors were surprised at the events. A new student after the term had begun wasn’t something that any student, or teacher, could remember ever happening. And what did the headmaster mean when he said, ‘take refuge’? Certainly, things around wizarding England weren’t that bad yet? As the applause and smatterings of whispers died down, Dumbledore continued. “Mr. Gideon and Ms. Evans have both already been sorted. There was a small private ceremony this afternoon for the two, safe in the comfort of my office. I am pleased to announce the two newest members of the noble house of…” the headmaster purposefully trailed off, looking at each house table, which was full of hopeful faces. “GRYFFINDOR!” 

The Gryffindor table roared with applause for their two new lions. The cheeks of the dark haired girl – Maia was it? - tinted with blush, and her eyes stuck to her companion, who seemed elated at the warm welcome. “I ask that our esteemed fifth- and sixth-year prefects of Gryffindor house look after your new lions. I do believe that I have held you long enough. Please enjoy your dinner.” The headmaster clapped his hands together, and the plates began to fill with food. Professor Dumbledore turned to the two new students, and after a few words, sent the two off to made the short trip to the Gryffindor table, where they sat in two empty spots. Immediately they were shaking hands with students and introductions were being made around the table. 

Sirius, who had looked away from the two new lions just long enough to pile his plate with food, elbowed James. “I guess now you’re going to have to specify which Evans it is mate. Again, I’m calling dibs on this one. Look at those eyes. I’ve never seen a color blue that bright.” 

“Oh-ho, so Sirius is breaking his “No Dating” oath for a pretty new girl with blue eyes?” James teased his friend. “Good luck with that mate. You’re going to need a few tips on how to pick up girls if you want to win that one. Look” Sirius did. It seemed that every male in the new Evan’s vicinity had taken a liking to her, well nearly all. Her partner seemed to be frustrated with the attention, and he began to look a bit agitated. He kept an arm around her shoulders as they spoke, and his jaw was clenched. 

“Protective of her I suppose. Most like trying to keep her safe from creeps that growl in their sleep like you Sirius.” Remus said, spooning a helping of mashed potatoes onto his plate, his eyebrow playfully quirked upward.

“I do not growl in my sleep Moony.” Sirius’s voice was gruff and greatly resembled a growl. As Remus and James laughed aloud, Sirius stabbed his clean fork in their direction, brandishing it like a sword.

“Honestly though Sirius, you can’t just call ‘dibs’ on a person. She is probably already having a rough time. You heard what Dumbledore said. They’re here seeking refuge from whatever is going on out there. You know how bad it was getting before the semester started.” Remus said gravely, gesturing wildly with his hands as he did. “At least give her some time before you go getting any ideas and make us play wingman for you.” 

“Yeah mate, let her at least get her footing before you try to make her swoon for your devilishly good looks.” James reached up and tugged Sirius’s wand from the sloppy bun it was holding. His hair fell to his shoulders, covering his eyes as it did. When Sirius growled again, this time threateningly at him, James simply tapped him across the head with the wand, muttering a charm as he did. Sirius was then sporting bright green hair with a single orange stripe going around the crown of his head. “Huh, it was supposed to be green and pink. Your wand is broken mate.” He said, tossing Sirius his wand back.

James and Remus, once again, burst out laughing at Sirius horrified look. Quickly digging through his bag, Sirius pulled out an ornate handheld mirror and blanched at the reflection that stared back at him. “Potter, I will end you.” Sirius said darkly, flinging mashed potato as he wielded his fork as it was a wand. As Remus continued to chuckle, Sirius swung the fork towards him as well. “You too, Lupin. You will meet your end with James. Just you wait. I will soon be the Potter’s only child.” He threw the fork back onto his full plate. Sirius carded his fingers through the green and orange locks, moaning miserably. “How long James?”

“It should only last about a couple hours. You’ll be good as new by tomorrow.” With one long, low groan, Sirius dropped his head back onto the table, causing the other two to renew their laughter. 

Mai was wringing her hands and gnawing on her bottom lip as she stood in the shadows, out of sight of the students and staff of 1975 Hogwarts. Her dark cloak, which had been transfigured from her quidditch robes, helped keep her hidden in the shadows, but the pounding of her heart could very easily blow their cover. It echoes in Mai’s ears like a drum. She didn’t know if she would be able to pull this off. Sure, Fred made her a promise, but what if something happened and he wasn’t there. What if he didn’t realize that he had said something wrong? What if she ruined the future? What if-

Fred’s hand on her elbow pulled Mai out of her thinking. With a zap of electricity, Fred folded her own hands between his much larger ones, pulling Mai closer to him. “I can hear you thinking too hard, Potter…. I mean Evans. Deep breath. We will make it through this.” Fred spoke quietly as he tried to reassure her, but his last sentence was so soft that seemed more for himself than Mai. His words were swallowed by the mindless chatter of the hall, so only they could hear. 

She looked down at their folded hands, pale skin with chipped nail polish, against tanned freckled hands, and willed herself to calm down. This wasn’t just about her. She knew that this had to be hard on him as well. Fred had been dragged twenty years into the past too. George was probably worried sick about him. She had noticed that the two often had a hard time working without each other. The Weasley family often spoke about how their brains must have been one for much longer than they should have, since the two have always had a difficult time thinking independently. No. Mai couldn’t just focus on herself in this. She needed to keep her cool for Fred, who was still a bit confused about the idea of time travel, despite taking a few hours in the hospital wing explaining it. She just needed to be herself, keep a level head, and keep anything from messing up their timeline. 

It was hard to do when she didn’t even feel like herself. The headmaster had placed a few charms on the two teenagers in an attempt to keep their identities hidden. The changes were subtle, but Mai still felt like an imposter compared to Fred. Fred looked similar, only needing his hair to be changed. He now sported strawberry blond hair, his curls touched with hints of auburn rather than being the fiery red that she was so familiar with. Nearly everything else stayed the same. She was thankful that the headmaster did not change his brown eyes greatly, only turning them a shade or two darker. She shook the thought away as soon as it appeared. 

Mai, on the other hand, had a few more enchantments placed on her to keep her identity hidden. Her beloved green eyes, one of the few features that Mai loved about herself, had become a light ocean blue, now unhindered by wire frames. Her glasses were now kept safely in the pocket of her cloak since she no longer needed them, thanks to an eye correcting potion from Madame Pomfrey. She knew that it was necessary, especially when using the last name Evans. Her emerald green eyes were far too similar to her mother’s for their story to make sense, and they did not want to risk the possibility of her glasses getting in the way. It did not, however, change the feeling of loss that Mai felt as Dumbledore cast the charm on her. She now had a small splattering of freckled across her nose, and her chin was a bit less pronounced. Even her name had shifted a bit. Mai, they decided, had been far too unique, and those that knew of Mai twenty years in the future (which the headmaster didn’t know would be everyone), would easily remember it. They decided to change it to Maia, allowing her to keep the nickname, but change the meaning and recognition of it. All of these changes were slight, but it was just enough to make Mai Potter feel like a fraud. Now she had to be Maia Evans. 

“Stop that.” Fred tugged on her hands again. 

Her eyes moved from their joined hands, to just over Fred’s shoulder, where the headmaster stood. His eyes twinkled and he was nearly bouncing on the balls of his heeled boots. “Are you two ready?” he asked. “Just remember what you need to do. Or need not do.” His grin twisted even larger. “Alright, now follow me.” 

Mai and Fred followed without comment or question. She could hear that the hall was growing quiet. As the headmaster introduced the two new students, Mai kept a firm grasp on Fred’s hand. The feeling of his skin was the only thing that could keep her grounded at the moment. Briefly, Mai wondered when in the last few hours she had become so dependent on the twin, but she could not place it. There had been so much that had happened since their quidditch practice that morning. She figured that it would logically make sense for her to find comfort in the only thing that she had from her time. The only familiar thing that she could see. That something just happened to be Fred. 

Not that the twin seemed to mind. He was all too willing to keep a hand on Mai, either clutching her fingers, her wrist, or her shoulder. To Fred, she was the anchor in all of this chaos. While they had been in the hospital wing with Dumbledore, Fred had learned about Mai’s past experience with time travel. He figured if anyone could keep things together, knowing the consequences if the two were to threaten the timeline, it would be Mai. He knew that he would have to lean on her to guide him through the next few days, just as she would have to lean on him for support. It wouldn’t be too terribly hard to allow her to lean on him. After all, this had been something that he was hoping for for years, circumstances be damned. 

The two students were brought back from their inner musings as the great hall erupted in whispers and a gentle applause. What had the headmaster said? Oh yes, that they had been seeking refuge in the castle. Mai snuck a glance away from their intertwined hands to scan the hall. Many faces seemed worried, as they should be, while others seemed to be looking to the headmaster in disbelief. As she glanced around the four tables, her eyes automatically drew to her most familiar one, the Gryffindor table. She looked towards her usual spot - the one that she sat in everyday with Ron and Hermione - and found it occupied by a familiar face. 

“There they are.” She whispered quietly to Fred, her head nodding towards their table.

Fred’s eyes followed her, scanning up and down the table for a moment before widening when he spotted them. Right in the middle of the table, a very young Professor Lupin and Sirius Black seemed to be quietly whispering with another student with black hair and rounded glasses. He must be her dad, Fred thought as he took in the black-haired boy again. He could not hide the smile snuck onto his face. Mai and her father looked so incredibly similar. His hair stood up in many directions, just like Mai’s used to when she was younger. His eyes were a deep hazel color and were hidden behind glasses that were stunningly similar to the ones that Mai wore. His face was slightly flushed as he hunched over, chatting with his friends. Sirius definitely looked better than the last time that he had seen him, but Fred assumed that the twelve years that he would serve in Azkaban for no reason were sure to destroy the boy. It was weird seeing Professor Lupin as a student. It felt wrong. He squeezed Mai’s hand a bit tighter, letting her know that he had seen them and that he was there for her. She clutched it back, their hands obscured by their sleeves. 

As the polite applause died down, the headmaster continued. This time, both time traveling teens tried to pay attention. Mai watched the group of three out of the corner of her eye while she kept her head up. She couldn’t believe it. Her dad was right there. All that she wanted to do was sit next to him. He was fifteen, the same age as her. His hair looked just like hers did before she decided to grow it out. They had the same chin. He had a crooked smile, which made his eyes crinkle at the corners as he joked with Sirius and Remus. He was actually there. Right there. 

“…the two newest members of the noble house of Gryffindor.”

She kept her eyes on her family. Her family. Did Mai ever actually think that she would be able to say that? She felt her face flush at the thought as the Gryffindor table cheered and clapped for them. Mai dropped her eyes from the table and turned to face Fred. His face also held a slight tinge of pink, but the smile that he was excited. His eyes moved back and forth across the table, taking it all in. He must have missed this the first time he was sorted, Mai thought for a second. He was sorted first, he was probably terrified that he and George would be separated. He didn’t get the change to enjoy his brothers cheering for him. 

She was too deep in thought to noticed that Fred had stopped looking to the Gryffindor table, and had rather turned his attention to her. His brow was quirked up and his lopsided smirk in its usual place, as he watched her finally take notice of his gaze. “Enjoy it Potter,” He whispered in her ear, so quietly that only she could hear. “No one expects anything from you.” His hand tightened on hers for a second, before releasing it completely. She wasn’t ready for the cold air to brush the skin of her palm, or the lonely emptiness that it felt when he let go. 

No one expects anything. He was right. No one did expect anything from her. Nobody knew her here.

“I ask that our esteemed fifth- and sixth-year prefects of Gryffindor house look after your new lions. I do believe that I have held you long enough. Please enjoy your dinner.” The headmaster clapped his hands together, joining in the small applause. Wait. Sixth year? She looked, confused at Fred, who was just smirking at her. “If you two wouldn’t mind taking a seat at your house table, it looks like there is a free spot near the end.” Dumbledore had turned away from the four tables and was facing Mai and Fred. “Food will appear in just a moment. Remember, we are meeting in my office after breakfast tomorrow. For now, enjoy your dinner.” His hands reached forward, and he clapped the two students on their shoulders, smiling gently at them, before turning them towards their table. 

The two made their way to the empty spot at that Dumbledore had gestured towards. It was, thankfully, far away from James, Sirius, and Remus. As soon as they two sat, there were hands thrust into their faces, offering to be shaken. Mai blinked a few times, before shaking the first hand that she saw. After a handful of introductions, Mai took the last hand that had been waiting. 

“Welcome to Gryffindor. I’m Josie, Josie Perkins, seventh year. We’re glad to have you. There is no safer place than Hogwarts.” Said a kind looking girl with blond hair that had been twisted into a brain. Her eyes were brown and her skin was tanned and her face was genuine. Mai looked to her and smiled for what felt like the first time in a while.   
“We’re glad to be here.” She said with a nod to the older girl. Seconds later, her stomach rumbled, causing Mai’s face to flush and Josie to lightly laugh.   
Fred dug his elbow into her side with a chuckle and said, “I’m starving Mai, let’s eat.” 

Fred had shaken as many hands and introduced himself just as many times, before tucking in. Once again, Mai was blessing Fred with her thanks. She was very hungry, having only been able to eat a single sandwich for lunch hours earlier in the hospital wing. Everyone took their seat once more, but the conversations came to a quick halt for a moment as everyone began to tuck in. It was easier for Mai to forget where she was for a moment, as she focused on the food in front of her. She served herself from the large platters in the middle of the table and relaxed a bit after her first few bites. 

“So Maia, that is a strange name. Is there a story there?” Josie asked between bites of mashed potato.

Mai took her time chewing, as she wracked her brain for an answer to the question. “Erm…. My father was a big fan of Tolkien. I think it is in reference to some group of elves from his novels or something.” 

“Whose Tolkien?” The blond before her looked confused, as did most that were sitting next to her. Fred even slowed his chewing a bit.

“He is the author of some muggle fantasy books. He wrote books that were set in his own world, Middle Earth. There were dwarves and wizards and elves, fighting a war against evil.” Mai shook her head. “It’s very different from the actual wizarding world though. You can call me Mai. I sort of prefer it, actually.” She took another bite, ending the discussion. 

“Huh. I wonder if I can find it at the library. It sounds interesting. Where did you two study before now?” Josie looked between Mai and Fred. 

“We were actually homeschooled,” Mai responded, recalling the story that the headmaster and helped the two craft. “Fred and I, we grew up next to each other and our mothers were good friends. They wanted to teach us together, so we were homeschooled, and they took turns teaching their specialties.” 

“I bet your dads wanted you to go to Hogwarts though,” The statement came from an older boy who had his shoulders thrown back and his chin up. He looked down at Mai, his dark eyes sharp. “Hogwarts is far better than what only two people could teach you.” 

Fred frowned. “My mother was quite skilled, and Mai’s mum was a sweetheart that could teach anyone… except maybe you.” The later half of Fred’s reply caused the students that had been close enough to hear to laugh.

A boy whose hair was cropped short and close to his ears, whose name Mai could recall was Alexander, cuffed the rude dark eyed boy on his shoulder. “Yeah Travers, don’t be such a git. I think it is great that they were homeschooled. It’s gotta be better than having a ghost teach you.” 

“You have a ghost teaching you?” Mai asked, faking surprise. So Binns is still teaching huh?

“Oh yeah, Professor Binns. He teaches History of Magic.” Alexander answered her. “It is terribly dull, the way that he teaches it, but the subject is actually fascinating if you do the readings. I’m sure having two Evans in his class will confuse the hell outta him, if he even notices. Oi Perkins, two galleons that he doesn’t even notice.” 

“There is no way that I am taking up that bet. Absolutely not.” Josie said, shaking her head.

“You’re no fun Perkins. Oi, Mai, no relation to Lily Evans, huh? She should be in your year I think.” Alexander called from his spot down the table.

“None that we can find, no. The headmaster asked the same thing earlier. Just a casual coincidence I assume.” Mai said, picking at bits of vegetables on her plate.   
“Well, where are you from? You never know, maybe the two of you are secret cousins.”

“Fred and I grew up just near Holyhead.” Mai answered, thinking of the script that she was given. Dumbledore had said that Holyhead was far enough away that no one should be able to make a connection to her parents, but close enough to still seem plausible. “We used to go up to the cliffside for holidays. One time Fred was nearly attacked by a gull there when he brought his food instead of leaving it.” 

“Ah, I think Evans grew up around Manchester or something. But who knows, it is possible. She did say once that her dad had to travel to Wales for a business trip once. Maybe you are illegitimate siblings.” Alexander’s brow wagged as he tried to dodge the whack that Josie tried to give his from across the table. Their section of the table turned into a short game of cat and mouse for a moment before Josie gave up trying to whack her classmate.

“Ignore Alex. He has no filter. Hasn’t since we were kids. What did you dads do all the way on the coast?” Josie asked as she settled back into her seat. 

“Well they-“ 

“They were wizards, right?” the aristocratic looking boy, Travers, jutted in again. He had leaned a bit closer, his elbow bracing himself. He was reminding Mai more and more of Malfoy with every syllable that he spoke. “It would be a shame if they weren’t. No self-respecting man would marry a witch without having an ounce of magical in him. I’d call that a tragedy.” 

The question made both Mai and Fred whip their heads around to glare at the boy. Their aghast faces made the table grow quiet. What did it matter whether their father was a wizard? Even if it was a story, why did it matter? And what a horrid thing to say about marrying a witch! Neither Mai nor Fred had ever known a Gryffindor that was overly concerned about someone’s blood status or marital preferences like that. That seemed to be more commonly found in Slytherin and seeing someone so concerned was surprising. Mai turned to look at Fred, whose face and neck were red, and he held his fork tighter. His arm, which had been slung over her shoulder for a majority of their meal, slid off of her and under the table. His jaw clenched a bit, and Mai could see him chewing on the inside of his cheek.

“I don’t think it is any of your business what our father’s did in their lives.” Fred spat out. “It doesn’t quite matter much anymore, given that our families were slaughtered and they are all gone, now does it.” He glowered down at his plate as he angerly stabbed at a steamed carrot. 

Mai reached for his hand, wondering why he was so enraged. She was not particularly happy about the conversation either, but she rarely saw Fred get this angry. It didn’t matter much in the long run, it was just a story to keep their identities secret. 

“Don’t.” Fred pulled his had just out of Mia’s reach. The word was harsh, and nearly made Mai flinch. When he saw this, Fred’s eyes lightened and grew rather sad. “Later.” He answered as he moved his arm back to around her shoulder. Mai nodded absentmindedly. She enjoyed the weight of the limb once again, but kept her eyes on Fred, watching. She could hear Alexander calling out the boy that had spoken again, but she couldn’t care much. Why was Fred so upset? A vein pulsed by his temple and a small part of her wanted to run her fingers over it to smooth it out. She had no control over her hand as it reached up on it’s own volition.

A cackle of laughter from somewhere down the table drew her attention and her hand pausing in the air. She looked away from Fred, the hand falling to her lap as she did, and she saw Sirius Black staring at himself in a mirror, his eyes wide with horror and his hair a bright green and orange. Lupin and James’s faces were red with laughter, and she couldn’t help but chuckle as Sirius swung his fork between the two, flinging a bit of potato off of it as he did. Fred’s shoulder’s shook with laughter as well, and the tension relaxed out of him. “Green is a good color for him.” He mentioned as if he was commenting on the weather. “Though I would think pink as an accent would be a bit better than orange. It makes him look a bit peaky.” 

Fred’s words sent another round of laughter around the table.

“They’re hilarious. James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black.” Josie said, wiping a tear from her eye. As she said each name, she pointed to the individual. “They are constantly pranking people and getting into trouble, so be careful. No doubt they will try something to initiate the two of you into Hogwarts. There is another, Peter, that is usually with them, but I saw him getting pulled off earlier by the caretaker, Filch. I would have thought with Lupin being a prefect this year, they would have slowed down, but if anything, they have been more merciless. You should see what they did to the Slytherins last week.” 

Josie began to recount the most recent exploits of the four boys. Once Mai got over her internal anger at the name Pettigrew, she clung to the stories that Josie told. The students that sat around them chimed in whenever they had a comment, and Alexander had a few stories of his own to tell of the four boys. Mai and Fred laughed at the tales, with Fred taking occasional notes on a piece of parchment that he had nicked off of someone. Mai felt a strange sense of ease wash over her as she sat, laughing with the table. Maybe this would not be as hard as she thought. 

With full bellies and a handful of stories later, dinner came to an end and slowly the students made their way back to their common rooms. As a group of Ravenclaws stood up to leave their table, Fred and Mai did the same. After quickly asking Josie to show them the common room, the three set off as the first students from Gryffindor to leave the table. As they passed James, Remus, and Sirius, which were still laughing and making jokes at the latter’s expense, Mai couldn’t help but stare. Thankfully, none of them noticed. Her family was right there, laughing at each other. Her dad was right there. So that is what his laugh sounded like. An elbow from Fred pulled her eyes away from the trio as they crossed the threshold of the hall. 

“Now which one of you is the sixth year?” Josie asked glancing between the two students. 

Once again, Mai was confused. Neither of them was technically in their sixth year. Why would Fred say that he was in his – 

“That would be me, Josie dearest.” Fred called out. 

“Oh please.” Josie said with an eyeroll at the endearment. “Well then, I know that Dumbledore said that you should shadow your year prefect tomorrow. Fred, that would be Frank Longbottom for you, and the other Evans for you Mai. Though that may be a bit confusing since Lily wasn’t at dinner and hasn’t met you yet. Talk to Lupin tonight before bed and introduce yourself to Lily in the morning.” 

They continued to make their way up staircases towards the tower. Mai looked around to see if there was anything that had really changed in twenty years, but it was almost as if the castle didn’t show time had passed. Sure, a portrait had moved on the third floor, and a tapestry changed walls, but there was very little that had really changed. It was comforting, Mai thought, that she walked the same halls and staircases now that she did back home. Home. She felt a pang of sadness creep into her heart. What was Ron doing? Probably eating his weight in chicken or begging Hermione to play chess with him. Hermione was most likely studying early for OWLS, or practicing spells until they were perfect. Did they miss her? Did they even know that she was gone? 

“If you need anything, I’m a seventh-year prefect, so don’t be afraid to ask or reach out. Breakfast starts at six-thirty o’clock tomorrow morning and lasts until about a quarter till nine. I’m sure that you will get your schedule then. Here we are, Gryffindor tower.” At long last, the Fat Lady’s portrait came into view. She had not changed, still garbed in her pink silk gown that she would still be in twenty years in the future. “The portrait needs a password to open. It should change next week, so for this week, make sure that you remember it.” Josie turned to the Fat Lady, who was busy napping in her frame. “Hireath,”

“What the bloody hell does that mean?” Fred asked as he moved to step forward to open the portrait hole.

“It’s Welsh. Do you not speak Welsh?” Josie looked confusedly at the two. “It means something along the lines of homesick or something like that. Some of the first years haven’t been adjusting very well. How do you grow up in Wales and not know Welsh? I thought nearly everyone there spoke Welsh.” 

Fred’s face was one full of panic. Thinking quickly, Mai answered Josie with, “We grew up mostly isolated and didn’t often run into others. We really didn’t have anyone to practice with, so our dad’s stopped trying to teach us.” The older girl seemed to accept the answer with a small nod of her head, though still looked confused. As she turned to push the portrait open, Fred silently mouthed “thank you” to her. Mai stepped on his foot in return. He had to be more careful. 

Somethings never change, Mai thought as the common room came into view. The room was still cloaked in rich reds and golden tones. The seating was arranged the same, with a few different seating poofs around the massive fireplace. There were tables off on the other side to use for studying, with small lamps floating above them. The walls were filled with portraits of the previous heads of Gryffindor, and tapestries lines the stone walls to help create some insulation during the cooler months. The two staircases that lead up to the dorms were off tucked into the corners of the rooms. The air smelled thick and cozy. 

“Well, welcome home.” Josie said ushering the two through the portrait hole. “The left staircase leads to the boys dorms, the right to the girls. Don’t try to sneak into the girls rooms unless you like sliding down five stories.” Josie’s eyes focused on Fred, who then moved his arm off of Mai. “Lights out is supposed to be 10 pm, and that is when curfew starts. After 10, unless you have a professor’s permission, you will surely get detention if you are found outside of the common room. Again, if you need me don’t be afraid to ask. I am going to turn in for the night, early quidditch practice tomorrow. Good night you two.” And with that, Josie climbed the right staircase, leaving the two alone in the common room. 

After a moment of standing in silence, Mai made her way over to the couch right in front of the fireplace. She nestled into her spot, the one that she always sat in, tucking her feet under her and stared into the fire. Fred joined her. 

“You ok?” he asked her after a while of silence. 

“I don’t know. You?”

“I don’t know either.”

They sat in silence. Slowly, other students clambered through the portrait hole. A few took up seats at the tables, but most students went up the stairs to tuck into bed for the night. No one tried to talk to the duo, though some did look as if they wanted to before deciding to head off to bed instead.

“Why sixth year? You should be in your seventh.” Mai finally asked. 

“It is going to sound silly,” Fred stretched his arms over his head before smoothly placing one over the back of the couch where Mai sat. “but I don’t want to do it without George. I can’t do it without him.” He stared deeply at Mai, as if willing her to understand, and while she couldn’t understand fully, she did know the depth of the twin’s relationship and how much being apart would bother them. “And besides, this way I can spend more time looking after you, you troublemaker.” He gently cuffed Mai on the back of the head, making her chuckle. She softly punched him in the side, which prompted Fred to pick up a throw pillow and toss it into her. She caught it and clung to it. The two resumed their silent staring into the fire, allowing the heat from the fire to warm their skin. 

“It’s not silly.” Mai whispered after a few minutes. Fred’s response was to lay a heavy arm back around her shoulders and pull her closer. She shifted so that she was leaning into him and closed her eyes. “What do we do now?” She muttered softly, her breath tickling his skin. 

“What you do so well – figure it out and hope for the best. We won’t get anywhere tonight, tomorrow, or the next day. The most that we can do is have faith that we will make it back.” As he spoke, Fred’s arm tightened around her, almost protectively. His voice broke off, and Mai could see his jaw clench once more. He is trying not to cry, she realized. 

“What was with you earlier? Why did you get so angry?” She asked. 

“I can’t stand when someone talks like that. I know that he doesn’t know who mum is, but just the idea of someone talking about her like that…. Or of your family like that…. He doesn’t sound very much like a Gryffindor.” Fred shook his head. “It made me so mad. It shouldn’t matter. Even after so many years, nothing’s changed. Nothing ever changes. I just wish that it did.” He trailed off, his eyes looking broken. His hand came up to card through the loose stands of Mai’s hair.

“I get it.” She whispered. 

The two sat together for hours, staring at the crackling fire. They heard the call for lights out, and soon all of the lights in the common room were extinguished, except for the fire before them. As the two nodded off together, coaxed to sleep by the heat of the flames, and the pale glow from the moon through the tower window, they knew that the next day would be hard – nearly impossible. They dreaded the meeting that they were to have with the headmaster the next day, and silently prayed that somehow he would know something more. They wished they would wake up in their own beds tomorrow. They hoped that this was all a dream and that they would be able to tell everyone about their crazy dream where they time traveled. As they slipped into unconsciousness, the two didn’t notice that they were still on the couch in the common room. They didn’t notice that the fire began to die out. They didn’t notice how their hands naturally made their way back to each other and rested perfectly together. All they knew was that they had to be ready for the next day, and neither were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, what did we think? This took me so long to edit, and I really hope that you enjoyed getting to see my version of the relationship between the Marauders. I had so much fun writing that portion. As of now, they haven’t picked out nicknames for each other, other than Moony, since they haven’t been able to successfully shift into their animal forms, but it is coming soon. 
> 
> Mai and Fred are going to be closer to a slow burn, so get ready to buckle up. I have so much planned for this story, including their relationship, Mai’s anxiety after the Triwizard Tournament, and the Marauders. I hope that you all are ready. 
> 
> As always, let me know what you think. Do not be afraid to follow or leave a review.   
> Final Word Count: 7,902


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